Color stole the show at this “Pink Palace” wedding in St. Petersburg

pink palace venue

Kaley and Tyler met in July 2019 in Gainesville, FL. Kaley had just graduated from the University of Florida's Physician Assistant program and was studying for her boards, while Tyler was busy working his way up the Firefighter promotional list. After one month of getting to know each other over text messages, Kaley and Tyler went on their first official date that lasted for hours. Throughout the pandemic, they spent time exploring the outdoors, cooking, playing cards, completing puzzles, and working out together before moving from Gainesville to Tampa after three years together. Tyler popped the question on a trip out West in Zion National Park, and the rest is history! When Kaley and Tyler began to plan for their big day, although they love to travel, they knew they wanted to get married in Florida where most of their family resides. They ultimately said "I do" at The Don CeSar, captured on camera by Cornelia Zaiss Photography and planned with the help of MDP Events.

St Petersburg wedding venue simple black and white wedding invitations

A perfectly pink venue

Although bride Kaley immediately knew the perfect venue at which to host their wedding, the couple wanted to keep their options open and toured a handful of venues; however, none of them seemed as perfect as The Don CeSar. It was important to the couple to choose a venue that had accommodations on site and that was in an area that had activities for guests to enjoy during the wedding weekend. The Don is also known as the Pink Palace, which was perfect as pink happened to be the bride’s favorite color!

classic black tie attire for groomsmen

From day-of-coordinator to full-time planner

After thinking she would originally only need a day-of coordinator, Kayley quickly realized they needed to invest in a wedding planner. Lauren of MDP Events was incredibly helpful throughout and helped her make the important decisions required during the planning process.

lace bridal robe

Wedding goals: Tons of color

Many brides opt for a neutral color palate with one color pop or an all-white theme, which Kayley always thought looked so elegant; however, she had always dreamed of a ton of color on her wedding day, and the pinks, peaches, oranges, and dark greens she opted for complimented the Don CeSar venue so well.

small boutonniere tropical bridal bouquet

Whimsical florals with a tropical edge

Kayley always loved a whimsical floral look, but she wanted to add an homage to the tropical destination of St. Pete Beach by incorporating dark green palm fronds into the florals. Ali from Flowersmith executed the vision in a way that brought the entire look of the wedding together.

white and pink floral bridesmaids dresses

Brides helping other brides

Kaley knew that she wanted her bridesmaids to be in patterned floral dresses that didn't look like traditional bridesmaids' dresses. Opting for a shade of pink to complement the Don CeSar, she ultimately found the exact bridesmaid dresses she was envisioning on her photographer's Instagram page. After messaging the bride in the photos and learning the specific pattern by Sachin and Babi was discontinued, the bride so graciously agreed to ask her bridesmaids if they would be willing to sell their dresses to Kayley and her bridal party. The girls were willing, and before long they had shipped their dresses, and Kayley had them tailored for each girl! Each bridesmaid also had a pair of matching pink earrings and nude heels to complete the outfit.

red pink and white floral arrangements

courtyard wedding ceremony pink red and white floral columns

Pink Palace wedding venue

A ceremony near the beach but not on it

The couple knew that they wanted to have an outdoor ceremony near the beach, but not directly on the beach. The Don CeSar provided that perfect backdrop.

beachfront wedding

A beachy pavilion cocktail hour

Kaley and Tyler opted for an outdoor cocktail hour under the string lit beach pavilion followed by an indoor ceremony in one of the gorgeous ballrooms overlooking the ocean. Color was added with patterned table linens and specialty napkins from BBJ La Tavola, while a vintage photobooth and tropical greenery backdrop let guests memorialize the evening.

repurposed ceremony installations for reception

pink and red centerpieces tropical centerpieces with tapered candles

elegant tropical centerpieces

Elegant reception customizations

Personal touches included custom pink koozies and drink stirrers, personalized bar signs and signature drinks signs from graphic designer Korryne & Co., and cocktail napkins with the couple's fur baby, Luna. The couple even displayed a neon design that read, "Making Mialstones," which played to their theme and was a whimsical way to include their last name.

choreographed first dance all-white wedding cake

Yes, the bride should DJ!

The highlight of the night was courtesy of DJ Cory Barron who performed in front of a unique designer booth that displayed the bride and groom's names throughout the night before the bride got to go behind the DJ booth to live out her dream of being a DJ! Shortly after, the couple exited as husband and wife to a shower of extra-long sparklers.

cold sparkler wedding exit

After-the-fact advice from the bride

"My biggest advice would be to base your budget off of your chosen venue. The venue is the largest chunk of money and can make a huge difference when it comes to additional costs. Also, it's important to prioritize your top two important vendors that you are willing to spend more on and consider compromising on other aspects of the wedding to ensure you get exactly what you want."

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